East is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Linden-McKinley is on a four-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Tigers will host the Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few points on average (East 10, Linden-McKinley 7.1) so any points scored will be well earned.
On Thursday, East took their game with ease, bagging a 43-16 win over Ponitz Career Tech. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matchups by 20 points or more this season.
East found their leader in sophomore Dominique Edwards, who rushed for 110 yards and two TDs on only seven carries. The team also got some help courtesy of Ta'John Royster, who gained 98 total yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Linden-McKinley fought the good fight in their overtime contest against Northland on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 20-14 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Vikings. The loss continues a trend for the Panthers in their meetings with the Vikings: they've now lost four in a row.
East will have to keep a close watch on Davell Brock and Chris Caldwell, a pair of players who had a big impact on Linden-McKinley's prior game. Brock rushed for 138 yards and one touchdown, while Caldwell rushed for 97 yards and one score.
Having lost for the first time this season, Linden-McKinley fell to 8-1. As for East, their victory bumped their record up to an identical 8-1.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. East has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 182.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Linden-McKinley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 209.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
East couldn't quite get it done against Linden-McKinley in their previous matchup back in October of 2024 as they fell 28-20. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Brock, who rushed for 96 yards and three TDs, and also threw for 39 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Now that the Tigers know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
